25 years ago: Stolen parrots recovering after rescue by police

A railroad crossing in North Lawrence that had been the site of a fatal train-car collision in March had been approved for lighted crossing signals, according to state and railroad officials today. The new signals, to be installed in 12 to 18 months, were to upgrade the crossing, which was then only marked with the standard crossbuck railroad crossing sign.

Two rare and valuable parrots, recently stolen from the Earl May Garden Center, 3200 Iowa, were now safely back in their home after police had recovered them from two different locations. "Fuzzy," a double yellow head Amazon parrot, and "Simba," an African gray parrot, had been stolen on the night of April 17. Both birds had been recovered after police followed up on some anonymous tips. The experience had been traumatic for the birds, according to Dave Klein, garden center manager. "I guess [Fuzzy] was back about an hour before he even said 'hello.'... They were both on bad diets. Both were being fed sunflower seeds and that makes them hyper. But I don't think either of them had been abused," Klein said.